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Ep. 200 - Every Day Is A Gift with Vernon Mason

Release Date: 05/08/2025

Ep. 226 — The Intentional Path to Your Next Location with Thomas Brawner

Child Care Rockstar Radio

In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Thomas Brawner, owner and CFO of Alta Schoolhouse in Lakeland, Florida, to talk about what it really looks like to grow with intention. Thomas shares how he made the decision to overstaff his first location so he could create the space to focus on expansion, prepare for a second school, and keep the first one strong at the same time. Their conversation gets into the real pieces behind that kind of growth: knowing your numbers, making smart tuition decisions, building a team that stays, and learning how to let go of the things that do not all...

Ep. 225 — The Real Reason You Can’t Let Go with Barbara Tedrow

Child Care Rockstar Radio

In this episode, Jennifer opens with an honest reflection on control and the emotional weight so many child care owners carry without even realizing it. That sets the stage for a real conversation with Barbara Tedrow, owner of A Gold Star Academy and a multi-site child care leader in New Mexico, about what it looks like to build a strong team on paper and yet still feel like too much of the business is resting on your shoulders. Barbara shares what came up during a recent VIP Day at the Child Care Success Company’s corporate office in New Orleans, where a deeper truth started to...

Ep. 224 — This is Why It Still Keeps Coming Back To You with Toni Bedford

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Real leadership takes time, clarity, and the willingness to slow down and lead with intention. In this episode, Jennifer reflects on a recent VIP Day at the Child Care Success Company’s new corporate office in New Orleans, and the perspective owners can gain when they step out of the daily rush long enough to think differently about how they lead. That sets up her conversation with Toni Bedford, owner of Bedford Learning Programs, a network of six family child care homes, about what it takes to stop being the person everything keeps coming back to. Toni shares how a strong team...

Ep. 223 — Protect What You’ve Built with Sharita Brown

Child Care Rockstar Radio

In this episode, Jennifer shares a personal moment that slowed her down and clarified what matters most: impact, leadership, and protecting what’s been entrusted to you. That framing sets the tone for a grounded conversation with Sharita “Rita” Brown, a long-time early childhood leader and Child Care Success Company coach, about one of the fears many owners carry quietly — the allegation that can shake everything. Rita walks Jennifer through a season where her centers faced a false report, and they couldn’t immediately produce the proof they needed. Instead of spiraling,...

Ep. 222 — When Loving Kids Isn’t Enough with Michael Ingram

Child Care Rockstar Radio

A new season of Child Care Rockstar Radio begins with Jennifer Conner, CEO of the Child Care Success company, stepping in as host! Jennifer shares the real behind-the-scenes of her own journey: buying a struggling center, realizing “love and passion” alone won’t sustain a business long-term, and learning how systems, finances, and leadership create the stability that protects your mission. Then Jennifer welcomes Michael Ingram, a legacy child care leader and school owner with multi-generational roots, to talk about the kind of leadership growth that doesn’t show up on an org...

Ep. 221 — Happier Mamas, Happier Babies with Camille St. Martin

Child Care Rockstar Radio

In this heartfelt sendoff episode, Kris sits down with her very first hire, Camille St. Martin, for a deeply meaningful conversation about the postpartum experience, nervous system regulation, and the importance of truly seeing and supporting new moms. Camille, now a mother of two and the founder of Ritual Movement Mama, shares how her own experience of isolation and identity loss after childbirth sparked a mission to help mothers reconnect with their bodies, their breath, and their inner wisdom, one slow movement at a time. Together, Kris and Camille explore what it means to return...

Ep. 220 - Becoming Stronger and Getting Better Each Day with Cynthia Maher

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Are you ready to grow stronger as a leader and show up bigger for your center? This week, Kris sits down with Cynthia Maher, owner and founder of Bedford Child Development Center in Michigan, and a proud finalist in the 2025 Child Care Rockstar Contest. Cynthia shares what it felt like to be on that big stage, the personal breakthroughs she experienced, and the mindset shifts that are helping her move forward with more clarity and confidence than ever before. With over 20 years in the field, Cynthia opens up about her team culture, marketing strategies, and why her center’s...

Ep. 219 - Having a Seat at the Right Table Is Everything with Kyleigh Tolman and Keaton Ross

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Kyleigh Tolman and Keaton Ross are the powerhouse sister duo behind Klever Kidz Academy in rural Southeast Oklahoma. With three centers and over 300 children served, Kyleigh and Keaton have built something deeply rooted in family, community, and intentional leadership. During their chat with Kris, they share how they’ve infused fun, core values, and heart into their culture, from heart-shaped tattoos with their leadership team to parent survival kits and walkout-proof staff meetings. They also open up about enrollment challenges in rural areas, personal development routines, and...

Ep. 218 - Stamp Your Center’s Footprint in the Community with Megan Ferring

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! In this episode, Kris sits down with Megan Ferring, a dynamic regional director at Hamilton Heights Child Development Center, where her 16-year journey began as a preschool teacher. Megan’s deep commitment to both operational excellence and playful leadership recently earned her the Director of the Year award. Kris and Megan talk about how Hamilton Heights approaches leadership structure, branding, and enrollment strategy across its six locations. Megan shares her perspective on centering community connections, building team culture, and...

Ep. 217 - Not Your Typical Childcare Center with LaVonda Paul

Child Care Rockstar Radio

This week, Kris welcomes LaVonda Paul, a trailblazing early childhood leader and fourth-generation entrepreneur, for an inspiring conversation about legacy, leadership, and the power of showing up. As the owner of Small Impressions Child Development Center in Taylors, South Carolina, LaVonda has spent 19 years building a community-first program. In the episode, LaVonda talks with Kris about how she’s cultivated deep trust with families, built a rock-solid team culture, and gone all-in on advocacy, helping shape policy while showing up for children, parents, and educators alike. She opens...

More Episodes

He’s back! The great Vernon Mason returns as one of the podcast’s most popular guests to help celebrate this milestone 200th episode. He and Kris reflect on leadership, legacy, and what it really means to be present.

In this episode, Vernon shares his beautiful wisdom and journey from growing up in an in-home child care program to building and selling a five-site child care business, and now helping grow The Nest into a 52-location powerhouse. Together, he and Kris chat about the realities of leadership today including accountability, toxic positivity, turnover trends, universal pre-K challenges, and financial uncertainty. They also remind us that every day is a gift, and leadership is all about showing up authentically, building real relationships, and staying grounded in gratitude.

Key Takeaways:

[6:15] Kris, the bucket list queen, talks about her adventure to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

[8:09] Vernon is the only person to be on the podcast three times!

[9:19] Vernon talks about being the “trifecta” in child care. He shares how he grew his child care company from one to five centers before selling, and how that transition shaped his leadership.

[16:18] Is labor starting to stabilize?

[22:04] The mindset to get out of fear-based leadership, crisis mode, and the scarcity mindset.

[24:26] The difference between toxic positivity and effective leadership and management.

[27:33] Strategies for accountability and preparing for the unknown in the future.

[30:15] The importance of both staying optimistic and taking action in the right direction.

[34:15] Building a parent referral reward program.

[38:29] Vernon talks about The Nest and maintaining relationships with leaders.

[42:47] Incentivizing teachers to stay present and view the classroom as a safe space.

Quotes:

“We don’t have a dress rehearsal for this. This is the real show here, right? There are no do-overs, right? This is the life we’ve been given, and I want to make an impact. I want to be the best person that I can be.” — Vernon [15:17]
“Accountability without a relationship is viewed as harassment.” — Vernon quoting Stephen [19:22]
“Your people will never be more enthusiastic than leadership.” — Vernon [22:04]
“Whatever you focus on most, you get more of.” — Vernon [25:57]
“To me, presence is everything. That’s it. We only have this moment, so we’ve got to just juice it up and just be here for it.” — Kris [42:16]
“The kids, they have that sixth sense, that intuition, they’re going to feel that whether the teacher is coming to the day with the energy of openness and presence or worry and stress and fear and arms crossed.” — Kris [44:41]
“I really feel as if this industry is in my DNA.” — Vernon [46:52]

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